March 26, 1959 (Thursday)
- Italy and the United States signed an agreement providing for thirty medium range Jupiter missiles to be deployed on Italian soil, the first placement of the new MRBM.
- A circus lion terrorized New York's Madison Square Garden after escaping a cage, running around the arena, then jumping a rail and walking into the main lobby. Ponto, the 800 pound star of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey big cat act was captured 15 minutes later after wandering into a blocked corridor.
- International radio communication was blocked out for 11 hours, beginning at 5 p.m. Pacific time. It was believed that an eruption on the sun disrupted transmissions, although such disturbances normally lasted on 30 minutes.
- Died: Raymond Chandler, 70, creator of Philip Marlowe
Read more about this topic: March 1959
Famous quotes containing the word march:
“One of the most interesting and affecting things [on a difficult return march from a raid into Virginia] is the train of contrabands, old and young, male and female—one hundred to two hundred—toiling uncomplainingly along after and with the army.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)